I’m about to be a property owner again!

Fingers crossed; I’ll be closing before I head off to North Carolina.

(First off, special thanks to one HELL of a great management team of Joe and Kai)

You know, I always pictured myself as the grandpa with a wrap-around porch, bouncing grandkids on my knee, teaching them to swim in the backyard pool, taking them on adventures across our 8 acres property, and showing them all the building trades and carpentry work I know how to do. It was all so perfectly planned when Donna and I bought the property and built our house in Woodbine. But, as life would have it, my story took a few unexpected plot twists. Now? Well, now it looks like I’m destined to be a lifelong professional bachelor! So, if I’m doing this solo gig, I’m at least doing it in style - baby!

For the past few years, I’ve felt like a modern-day nomad. No home to come back to (and house I was living in, I had a very small footprint for MY stuff with much of it in storage bins, the shed, or the basement), no wife, no corporate grind, no debt (okay, that part’s pretty nice), no real roots—just me and the great outdoors. But things are changing, and soon enough, I’ll be putting down some roots again… in Maryland!

I’m buying a boat slip!! Yep, that’s right—a little slice of paradise that unlike Ohana also happens to appreciate in value! In the winter, I can sail off to clear and warmer waters, renting out my slip to fellow wanderers while I chase the sun. In the summer, I’ll be back to soak up the resort life at Piney Narrows Yacht Haven. Picture this: poolside lounging, bike paths, marina activities, Outlet stores, and a lineup of bars, restaurants and nightlife calling my name. Living the resort life no matter where I am… and always having my house with me.

This slip is a serious upgrade, too. Besides having 50 amp service and a clear view to the sky for my Starlink, the foredeck overlooks open water in the marina with a front-row seat to some truly breathtaking sunsets. After a day sailing out on the bay or floating in the pool, I’ll be able to kick back on the deck, feel the breeze, listen to some Jimmy Buffet and watch the sun dip below the horizon. Not a bad way to end the day, if you ask me.

And let’s be honest, hurricane season will be keeping things interesting. From June 1 to November 1, I have to either be north of Cape Hatteras or south of Grenada, so having a dock to ALWAYS come back to will reduce stress and make it easy for me… I always have a “home” to return to.

Piney Narrows Yacht Haven is a condominium slip facility—all their slips are privately owned with a board of directors who manage it. And, because I apparently can’t resist getting involved, I’m planning to join the board of directors! I figure I can put my leadership skills to good use and help out by working as a team and implementing the projects & plans they have … just like in my career, but with fewer spreadsheets and more sunsets.

Now that I’ll have a place to call “home,” I just need to figure out this whole “single life” thing. To help with that, I joined a couple of singles boating groups—“Singles On Sailboats” and “The New Annapolis Sailors Club.” Who knows? Maybe I’ll pick up some tips on living as a “single dude” or, if the stars align, I might just find a cute, like-minded sailing “hotty” to be my first-mate.

Either way, I am determined to make this next chapter one heck of an adventure!